By Janet McAfee
This week I had the pleasure of seeing the film AMERICAN MUSTANG which premiered here in Palm Desert at the Regal Rancho Mirage Stadium 16. This sweeping film, narrated through the voice of a young girl who becomes infatuated with a wild horse brought to her family’s ranch, tells the plight of wild horses in our American West. AMERICAN MUSTANG reveals the beauty of the wild horses as never seen before in Stereoscopic 3D.
The film artfully weaves the story of the girl and the horse she names Pegasus with documentary footage about the horse roundups going on in our Western states and the role of the United States Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in “controlling” the herds. The film shows the strong and intimate bonds within the horse family, and makes it clear they have an integral place in the tapestry of the North American landscape.
The many scenes of the horses running free and wild will enthrall your heart with the soaring spirit of these magnificent creatures. A wild horse can cover up to 30 miles a day. Americans have a love for horses as these creatures are considered a national treasure and an integral part of our history.
The film highlights the plight of one horse, Pegasus, who is newly captured and brought to the young girl’s family ranch. A ranch hand works with Pegasus to “gentle” him and ultimately tries to break his spirit. The girl, who speaks though the narration of actress Daryl Hannah, becomes mesmerized by Pegasus and falls in love with his magnificent wild spirit. It is dramatic moment in the film when Pegasus cannot be tamed, and he is driven away. The ranch hand tells the young girl, “Don’t worry, he’ll get a good home in Paso Robles.” However, the viewer is left feeling quite unsettled about the Mustang’s ultimate fate.
The film is a call to action. The viewer who loves animals cannot help but despair when these creatures are terrorized and captured in helicopter raids and held in crowded government holding pens for the rest of their lives. Today over 50,000 mustangs are kept in segregated government pens, more than the number left to roam in the wild. They are branded, the males are castrated, families separated, and they have little room in which to move about. In the holding pens, their eyes become dull, reflecting their broken spirits. Some are sold by the truckload for $10 apiece, and many end up in the worldwide market for meat.
Removed from the range in order to make room for big agriculture and big energy interests, it is argued the horses destroy the range land needed for cattle. It is hard to see the reason for this, when it is estimated there is only 1 horse for every 50 cattle in the Western states. The program to round up and contain the wild horses costs the American taxpayers $80 million per year. Five out of every 8 horses are now stockpiled in government holding facilities. The goal of this film is to raise awareness about this issue and encourage proper management which includes humane and available birth control in order to preserve these wild herds, icons of American freedom.
I randomly interviewed a movie viewer, Erlyn Garrison, who happened to be a local animal advocate. Erlyn loved the film and commented, “I liked the way they showed the different perspectives to this issue, ranging from the beef industry to the environmentalists. It is clear there is no issue with the cows. I loved the way they showed this issue through the eyes of a young girl who loved a horse. When a child sees injustice, a living being held against its will to break its spirit, they know it’s wrong. I’ve been following this issue for many years, and I believe it impacts the horses’ sanity to keep them penned. It’s not the horses who are taking over our public lands it’s the ranchers and the factory farming industry.”
What can you do to help? For more information about this subject, go to www.wildhorsepreservation.org. The website contains a petition you can sign to ask Congress to safeguard the future of our wonderful American wild horses.
Directed by award-winning director, Monty Miranda and written and produced by wildlife advocate Ellie Phipps Price, this compelling blend of nature documentary and family film will captivate animal lovers and movie lovers alike. Go see it!
WHERE: Regal Rancho Mirage Stadium 16, 72777 Dinah Shore, Rancho Mirage
WHEN: May be continued past March 6. For show times visit www.regmovies.com
